Christmas Cheer
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: A small collection of Christmas stories. Written for the 2016 Holiday Exchange in the Teachers' Lounge.
1. Stocking Stuffers

_**LbN: Written for BadMum. Prompt was: The Marauders get creative filling Harry's Christmas stocking. Happy reading.**_

It was a snowing a bit by the time Lily got home. James had volunteered to put up the tree while she had a bit of a break that afternoon. She'd had tea with Bathilda, and picked up a couple of things for Christmas - she knew the rest of the guys would be by, and all she wanted this year was to have at least a few of her chocolate biscuits left….

"James? How did the tree setup go?" she asked, wandering into the living room. She laughed when she saw what was taking place.

Harry, in nothing but a diaper and a Santa hat, was having the time of his life sitting in one of the ornament boxes. James was making the box zoom around the room, grinning as his son laughed.

"Went splendidly! Did you have a good afternoon?" he asked when she sat down next to him.

"I did. Bathilda says hello. When is Sirius getting here?"

"Peter'll be here in an hour, and Sirius should be in around seven. He said he would have made it sooner, but he's picking up a few more things for Harry."

"James did you tell him not to spoil our child?" Lily shot, giving her husband the stink eye.

He smiled and said, "I told him that you said not to spoil our child."

Lily groaned. If the way Sirius had paced the waiting room during her nine-hour delivery was any indication, this was going to be an over-the-top Christmas indeed.

They spent the rest of the afternoon lounging about the house, sending Harry for rides in his makeshift Christmas sleigh, and trying to keep him out of the cookie batter.

When Peter arrived, Harry squealed and held his arms up. James laughed when Peter jumped back.

"Don't look so afraid!" he said, picking Harry up and holding him out. "He doesn't bite. Er...actually, yes he does. But it's mostly gums, so it doesn't hurt much."

"N-no, I don't want to drop him or...break him or anything," Peter said, backing away a bit. "But I brought him a present," he added brightly. He tapped his bag, and a present came zooming out of it and into Harry's stocking. It was clearly a teddy bear, badly wrapped in red and gold paper. "I don't know what babies like, so I just got him the fluffiest thing I could find."

"I'm sure he'll think it's grand. Let's go bother Lily - she's trying to bake tree shaped cookies the Muggle way."

"Again?" Peter asked. "After the fiasco last year?"

"Call it a Christmas tradition," James told him with a sly grin.

* * *

Sirius arrived that evening just as they were setting the table for dinner. He bounded into the house with a huge sack and yelled, "Ha ha ha!"

"It's ho ho ho," Lily called from the dining room. "Drop your stuff and come eat."

"Oi, what's this in Harry's stocking?" Sirius asked as he peeked into the dining room. He waved the poorly wrapped bear at them. "A bear, Wormtail?"

"What makes you think it was me?" Peter asked, defensively.

"Lily and James use blue paper with silver ribbon. Plus, I'm sure they do a better job at wrapping. Putting it under the tree."

"Hey! I got here first!"

"I'm his godfather, and my present's better."

"How do you know?"

"Alright, gents! Battle it out after we eat," James said, loading up Harry's high chair tray with spaghetti.

They made idle chat for a bit. Sirius had been traveling in Greece for about a week, and was excited to tell them about his mini-adventure. When pudding had been eaten and James and Peter were taking care of dishes, Lily pulled Sirius aside.

"Have you heard from him?" she asked.

Sirius shook his head. "It was just the full moon yesterday," he said. "Sometimes Moony needs a break, you know that. He needs to recover, but I'm sure he won't miss Christmas."

"It's just that...we didn't hear from him all last month…" Lily said, glancing out the window as though hoping to see Remus coming up the drive.

"I talked to him around the fifteenth. He was doing okay."

"I hope he still is."

Sirius hugged her for a moment. "He's not here by tomorrow night, I'll go check his normal haunts."

Lily nodded. "Let's go make sure James and Peter aren't trying to feed Harry any more chocolate."

"We aren't," Peter said, wandering into the living room. James was right behind him, carrying Harry. "Though he did try to eat the soap. I can't believe you took my bear out of his stocking," he pouted.

"A fluffy Quidditch broom is much better!"

"Speaking of Quidditch, the Singapore match is about to start," James said, checking his watch.

"Everyone take a seat then," Lily said. "I've been waiting three months for this one."

* * *

The next day took a very interesting turn. The Potters didn't have time to dwell on their missing friend, because the two that were present were engaged in the weirdest competition Lily had ever witnessed. Even worse than the Honeydukes Cockroach Cluster battle….

By ten that morning, Harry's stocking was at least ten times the normal size, and stuffed with Sirius's stuffie broomstick, Peter's stuffie bear, plus a mini Quidditch outfit that Peter ran out to get before breakfast. This aroused Sirius's competitive nature, so he Disapparated around 9:30 and came back with an oversized airplane that Harry could ride around in. The wings and propellers were sticking out of the top of the stocking, and it the whole stocking was swaying gently.

"This cannot continue," Lily told James. "We don't have room in the nursery."

James watched as Sirius danced with Harry in the living room. Peter was sitting on the couch, singing along to the Christmas tune on the radio. James pulled Lily into a hug. "Let them get it out of their system. Christmas comes but once a year. Besides - we can shrink everything down."

They joined the other two in the living room. Peter budged up and gave them room to sit down. And then he jumped up.

"I've got it!" he yelped. "I'll be right back."

"No more presents!" Lily yelled after him as he dashed out.

It only took ten minutes for Peter to return. He ran back in, tapped the stocking so that it grew again, and loaded it down with squishy musical blocks. Sirius watched, clearly annoyed, and then he gave Harry back to Lily.

"No," she said. "Absolutely not, Sirius! Don't you get him one more -" she broke off when he Disapparated. She swatted James, who was doubled over laughing. "Some help you are."

"Think of it this way," James said. "We can dial it back next Christmas. Wormtail - only one gift next Christmas, you hear me?"

Peter smirked. "Tell Sirius one, so I can do two at the last minute."

"Will this madness ever end?" Lily asked.

"Never," James said with a maniacal grin. "When we're old and grey, and Harry's a tall strapping Quidditch star, he'll come home for Christmas, gorgeous lady on his arm, and the Marauders will be still be flinging presents at him. Of course, it will be less fluffy bunnies, and more magical condoms -"

"James!"

"I'm just saying...though Wormy will probably asking for tips."

"I'm not that hopeless!" Peter protested, tossing one of the tree baubles at James's head.

"I desperately need female friends," Lily lamented.

Sirius took a lot longer, and by the time he got back it was after lunch. He got the Santa call right this time though. "Ho ho ho!"

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is," Lily said.

"Just like Uncle Sirius," Sirius said, setting Harry on the seat of the baby motorcycle. "Listen...while I was out, I checked Remus's flat."

"Let me guess," James sighed. "He's not there."

"Talked to the landlady. Your last transfer went through for six months' rent, but she says she hasn't seen Remus since last month."

"Let's go look," James said.

Sirius passed Harry back to Lily as Peter and James got their coats. He tapped the stocking to make it large enough to hold the motorcycle, the result being that the stocking was now roughly Peter's size, and was resting on the ground.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," James said.

* * *

Lily paced the living room. She'd had dinner alone, after a message from James saying they still hadn't found Remus. It was around seven, and she'd just put Harry to bed. She remembered a particularly bad full moon during sixth year. Remus had been in the hospital wing for a full week, and she'd had to bandage Sirius and James up herself. She jumped, hearing the door open.

Peter rushed in. "We found him," he panted.

Lily and Peter stood in the hall as James and Sirius carried Remus in. It looked like their friend was only half-conscious.

Lily summoned the first aid kit and sent it zooming upstairs after the three of them. "Where was he?"

"It looked like it used to be a werewolf den," Peter said as they followed the men upstairs. "But it doesn't make sense - he usually stays away from those places. Says they're just as likely to kill you on sight as allow you in."

"So something must've changed. He and James built the safe room in his flat - there's no need for him to leave."

James and Sirius had already cleaned Remus up, and were bandaging him when Lily and Peter got there.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Sirius asked softly. "Why would you stay in that place?"

"Little girl...moved in next flat…" Remus whispered.

The assembled group all sighed when the realization hit them. Remus had always been hyper-vigilant about his location during the full moon. He hated the thought of hurting someone, and never fully trusted the safe room that he and James had set up. A family with children moving in? No wonder the landlady hadn't seen Remus since the month before. That would be two full moons of trying to make sure he didn't hurt a child.

Harry began to cry in the other room.

"Remus is bleeding," Lily said. "I need to stay with him."

"Peter, go hold Harry," James said, trying to help Sirius fix some broken bones.

"What? Why me? I can -"

"You got lowest marks in that term of Enchanted First Aid," Sirius snapped. "I don't think Remus wants a pumpkin growing where his nose once was. Go get Harry!"

Peter squeezed Remus's hand once and scurried from the room.

Lily healed as many cuts as she could find. "Remus, how do you feel?"

"Who got top marks in Defense and Charms? How fast can you learn the Killing Curse? I want it to be quick."

"Don't say that, mate," Sirius said.

"Thank you," Remus whispered as they wrapped him in three blankets.

"Just rest, Moony," James told him, tapping the blankets so they would stay warm.

Peter came back in, holding Harry at arm's length. "I...er...think he needs his nappy changed."

"I'll do it," James said. "Let's let Moony sleep."

* * *

Lily couldn't sleep. The manner of Remus's arrival had taken some of the cheer out of the air. She got up and pulled on a jumper. As she walked downstairs, she passed Remus's room and noticed that he was no longer in bed. There was a small sound coming from the living room, and when she got there she realized that it was Remus.

The younger man was standing in front of Harry's stocking and trying to stifle his laughter. "What on earth?" he asked when he spotted Lily.

"Sirius and Peter got a little carried away," she explained.

"A little? I was looking to put Harry's present in his stocking, but I'm frightened for the structural integrity of this wall…." He had a small, unwrapped box in his hands. "It's a bit unimpressive, next to the motorcycle."

"I'm sure he'll love it, Remus," Lily said. "You didn't need to get him anything."

"Of course I did. It's his first Christmas. Here…." He took a small, slightly dented ornament out of the box. It was a simple gold bauble with Harry James Potter etched on it. He put it on the tree, and yawned.

"Back to bed with you," Lily said. "And Remus? Out of all this?" she said, indicating the overstuffed stocking. "Yours is my favorite."

He gave her a weak grin, and hugged her. "Happy Christmas, Lil. I promise I'll try not to make next year's so depressing."

"It'll only be depressing if you miss it, Moony."


	2. How Teddy Lupin Saved Xmas - and Dragons

**LbN: For TellatrixForever. Happy Christmas, mate!**

* * *

Teddy woke up and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was officially Christmas - a quarter past midnight - and Charlie was talking to someone. Teddy knew he had crashed his favorite uncle's solitary Christmas, but he wondered who else had. He peeked over the couch to see two cloaked figures passing presents to Charlie.

"Charlie?"

"Ted - sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. Er… This is Tobin, and this is Liam. They're colleagues of mine."

"Pleased to meet you," Teddy said groggily. He pulled on a jumper and walked to the door, stopping short when he saw what was just beyond the door. "Wow," he breathed.

"Oh boy," Charlie groaned.

"Didn't know you had company, Charlie," the one called Liam said. He was tall and wiry, and had a burn scar on his neck. He reached out to shake Teddy's hand when the boy made it to the door. "You must be the nephew with the motorbike."

"Teddy, yeah," Teddy said. "Is...is that…?"

"A Ukrainian Ironbelly," Tobin said. She flipped her silvery afro out of her eyes and jerked her head toward it. "Want to have a look?"

As Charlie groaned again, Teddy scrambled for his boots and coat. He didn't bother running to the bathroom to change - he simply pulled his jeans up over his pajama pants and ran out to see the dragon.

The three adults stood to the side of the dragon's cage. It was connected to what looked like an old Victorian coach. Teddy could see his breath in the air as he approached the cage, but he ignored the cold.

Charlie squeezed his shoulder and pulled him into a side-hug. "It's your age, Ted," he said. "He'll get a lot bigger."

"Looks plenty big to me," Teddy said. "Where's he going?"

"Liam and I are Dragonologists - assigned to the American Dragon Council. We're taking him to one of the reserves out in Colorado. Do you -"

"Tobin," Charlie whined.

"What?" Teddy asked.

"He's visiting - we have to be at my Mum's for Christmas brunch tomorrow," Charlie interjected.

Liam and Tobin were grinning now. Tobin punched him on the arm. "Don't be such a spoiled sport. We'll have you back in plenty of time."

"What do you say, Teddy?" Liam asked. "We have to stop at checkpoints, and we were going to see if Charlie wanted to go on a delivery. But there's plenty of room for both of you."

"We're going," Teddy said, grinning brightly at Charlie. "You've got to be up for it!"

Charlie smiled, and Teddy knew he had him. That smile meant Charlie was thinking back to his years at Hogwarts, going on mini adventures with Teddy's mum. He ruffled Teddy's turquoise hair. "Fine, but we're Apparating to brunch no matter what. Got your wand?"

"Got it."

"In we get, then," Tobin said.

They piled into the carriage and, with a lurch, took off into the air.

* * *

The carriage was more spacious on the inside than it looked. It worked a bit like the night bus, moving lightning fast through the sky. There was a small oven on the shelf in the back, connected to a set of pipes. The pipes, apparently, were near the sedated dragon's snout, and its snores powered the oven. Teddy was enjoying some fresh, dragon-baked cookies as Charlie, Liam, and Tobin recounted stories of past dragon drop-offs.

"The best one was that dragon at Hogwarts," Liam said.

"Er...maybe we save that story," Charlie said in a rush.

"Why? I know about the TriWizard dragons," Teddy said, grabbing his third cookie.

"No - we mean the one we took off the Astronomy Tower from Potter that night," Tobin clarified.

"WHAT?" Teddy yelped.

"Harry's going to kill me," Charlie grumbled.

"He's not," Teddy said. "What happened?"

"Norberta is our favorite dragon now on the reserve," Charlie said. "The first time I heard about her, her name was Norbert, and Ron was begging me to come take her off Hagrid's hands…."

"Let's just say," Liam said, "that this was a freelance job."

"Yeah?" Teddy laughed. "How many of those do you guys do?"

"Not a lot anymore. Something about getting singed in the dead of night, in the middle of a swamp, while wearing nothing but a reflective pair of boxers that takes all the fun out of thrill seeking."

"Oh this I've got to hear."

Somewhere between the end of the story, the eighth round of cookies, and clearing the English checkpoint, Teddy fell asleep. He missed the New York checkpoint entirely, but woke up over Chicago. The carriage jerked and lurched, jolting him from his sleep.

"Whassat?"

"Bollocks - not again," Liam said. He took out his wand and climbed out of the window onto this side rails.

"What's going on?" Teddy asked Charlie.

"Sedation wore off," Charlie explained, following Liam out of the carriage.

Teddy stuck his head out of the window, watching how Charlie shimmied along the rails. He waited until Charlie was preoccupied with trying to subdue the dragon, before following. He moved cautiously along the railings, slipping twice, but managing to make it to the the small platform.

"TED ARE YOU MENTAL?" Charlie shouted above the wind.

"What's up?" Ted yelled.

All three hit the deck as the carriage and cage lurched again. The dragon gave a loud roar, shaking the entire structure.

"He's fully awake - we can't stun him even with Teddy here."

"We've got to administer the potion!"

"At thirty thousand feet?"

"How can I help?" Teddy yelled.

The carriage lurched again, and the dragon roared. A fox-shaped Patronus floated down and yelled, "It's getting warm in here!" in Tobin's voice.

"Cookies sound good in theory…." Liam grumbled.

Teddy glanced around the cage, and hopped down. "Throw it to me!"

"Ted!"

"Throw it!"

Liam levitated the potion down to him. And that was the point when Teddy noticed his boots beginning to melt. He jumped over the dragon's tail. The creature was chained down, but it was making such a fuss that the entire carriage was still rocking.

"What now?" Teddy yelled.

"In his ears!" both men called.

"His mom's looking down on this and screaming! She's going to strike me down if he gets fried," Charlie yelled to Liam. "I'm going down there with him."

"Look at that! He's a natural!"

"He's going to school for advanced charms! He's staying away from Dragons, Aurors, and Quidditch!"

Teddy could hear all of this, as they were shouting over the wind, but he wasn't actually paying attention. The Ukrainian Ironbelly looked like it had large ears, but that was actually just the scale pattern. In reality, the ears were just foot-sized holes in the dragon's head. Dangerously close to it's mouth. It was chained down, but if it decided to self-destruct, they were all toast. Literally.

Charlie jumped down into the cage. "I'll give you a leg up."

For the first time since he was probably about eight years old, Teddy let him pick him up and put him on his shoulders. He dumped the potion in the dragon's ear, and the cage stopped rocking.

"Hot, hot, hot, hot, hothothothothothothot…." Teddy scrambled back from the dragon's head, knocking both himself and Charlie down in the process.

Charlie helped him up. "Are you sure you're not a Gryffindor? Because that was so brave...and so stupid."

Teddy grinned at him. "Think I've got a career as a Dragonologist?"

"No. Hell no. Let's get back up there."

When they reached the carriage, it was freezing inside. Tobin had activated the emergency cooling charm.

"Thanks, lads," she said. "Hope you don't mind getting ready for Colorado a little early.

* * *

Colorado's mountains were snowy and beautiful. The reserve was a hidden valley, with only two other dragons there. They'd deposited the sleeping dragon into its new home, and then headed into the warmth of the small tavern situated in one of the caves.

Dragonologists as a whole, were a rowdy bunch, and they were ready and willing to induct Teddy into the fire-taming brotherhood. They pressed a mug of beer into his hands, and Charlie pretended not to see. He didn't, however, pretend not to see the pyramid of shots that got passed around. He just wasn't quick enough to stop the three Teddy took.

"If I didn't know better," he said, leaning closer to Teddy. "I'd say you'd done a few shots before."

"I'm choosing to not incrim - hic - incriminate myself."

Charlie gently took Teddy's arm and glanced at his watch. It was four in the morning back in England. "Let's get you up to bed. You lot don't mind if we crash for a few hours?"

"Not at all," Jimmy, the team lead said. "And if your homeboy there remembers all this when he wakes up, tell him to give us a call if he wants a job."

He hoisted Teddy up by the arm and carried him off to bed. The hotel was attached to the tavern, connected by a series of narrow stairs. As he dropped Teddy into his bed, he couldn't help smiling. All in all, it had been a great Christmas Eve and/or morning. "You've got a few hours to sleep, mate. And please don't tell Grandma Weasley or your Gran that I got you drunk."

"This was awesome," Teddy whispered. "Best Christmas ever."

Charlie threw himself into the other bed, and tapped his watch with his wand. "Yeah - but maybe next year we stay in and play Gobstones."


	3. Ugly Sweater Party

_**LbN: A quick drabble written for Blue Artemis. Prompt was**_ _ **"Molly finds out about the odd Muggle holiday tradition of "ugly sweaters". What does she do for her family that Christmas?" Happy Christmas, mate!  
**_

"I'm not saying I won't make jumpers this year," Molly said as she and Arthur cleaned up the breakfast plates. "I just want to try something different. I think George kept all of his - and Fred's - even the ones from when they were little. Twenty-one F and G jumpers is pushing things a little."

Arthur laughed. "I suppose you have a point. What will the design be instead?"

"I'm not sure. Could you show me how to use your Google again?"

Arthur still had his tinkering shed, but it was much more organized now. Molly sat at the computer, scrolling through the search results for "fun Christmas sweaters" and tried to figure out a plan for her growing family. A link caught her eye, and she laughed as she looked through the sweater patterns.

"Dare I even wonder?" Arthur asked, looking up from the radio he was fixing.

"Oh...I think I'll let you be surprised."

* * *

"Mum, don't get me wrong," George said, helping Molly carry her shopping bags into the house, "I look forward to your sweaters each year. They're lovely and warm. But perhaps you'd consider mittens for everyone." He glanced around at the bags of knitting materials. "Or a lovely ear scarf?"

Molly chuckled. "I appreciate your concern for my time and hands, but it's not as much of a hardship as you might think. We've only added Fleur and Angelina to the list. Are you going back to the shop?"

"I should. I told Verity I'd be back to help with the restocking."

"I...I wanted to ask…."

"What is it, Mum?" George asked. He leaned against the counter next to her.

"Do you want two sweaters?" she asked, taking his hand. She could tell he hadn't been expecting that question. She'd debated how to ask, or even if she should, but she couldn't help herself. She could barely bring herself to say Fred's name sometimes, but she was more worried about George.

George cleared his throat and looked at his shoes. "If...if it's not too much work."

She kissed his cheek and smiled. "Of course not. Go on now, you have a shop to run."

"I'll see you and Dad for lunch on Sunday?"

"We'll be there. Give Angelina our best."

Molly watched him walk to the yard and Disapparate. With a wave of her wand, she sent most of her knitting materials zooming into various drawers in the sitting room. She settled down in her favorite chair, and began working on Bill's sweater.

* * *

 **December 24th**

"Happy Christmas, Harry," Molly said, opening the door.

"Happy Christmas, Mrs. Weasley! I'm sorry I'm late."

"Nonsense, dear. I know how busy you've been with training. Come on in - we're going to have coco. Oh! And here's your sweater. Do put it on - everyone's wearing theirs."

Harry took his sweater out, and immediately started laughing. It was the normal emerald green, but had what looked like tipsy elves dancing across the bottom. It said, "Let's get elfed up." "I see you've decided to spice things up this year."

"Well...you're all adults now," Molly chuckled. "Come on in, we'll get you something to eat."

Harry entered the living room, and nearly fell over once he got a look at everyone's sweaters.

Molly and Arthur were wearing the traditional M and A sweaters, but everyone else's were more...colorful. Bill and Fleur's sweaters matched. There was a line of gold as the border, and his shirt said "All about the Gold," while hers said, "Show me the money." Charlie's had a dragon baking cookies on it, with the words, "Hot Stuff." Percy's had three gingerbread men running in horror from a Santa hand that was descending from the right armpit…. George and Angelina were sporting sweaters with stockings on them that read "Naughty" and "Nice" respectively, and Ron's and Hermione's were snowmen juggling their carrot noses and coal eyes. But Ginny's was the one that had Harry snorting with laughter.

"I think this mean's Mum's come to terms with our breakup," she said, hugging Harry.

"Happy HoliGays? In rainbow letters?" Harry asked, still laughing. "That's inspired!"

"I'm worried about just how many puns she can make. She's pretty creative when she wants to be."

"Who wants cookies?" Molly called.

"Mum, please tell me this is going to be a new tradition," Charlie said, pointing to his shirt.

"I suppose. I think the Muggle tradition of ugly sweater parties is quite brilliant." She smiled at her family as they passed around the platter of cookies and settled in that Christmas Eve. Upstairs, there was one more sweater, a Christmas tree made of different sized mustaches, but she would wait to give it to George. Right now, she was just happy to see her family happy - as happy as they could be - that Christmas.


	4. The First Hogwarts Christmas

_**Or: How Albus Potter Learned to Stop Worrying and Love His School.**_

Albus Severus walked through the Charms corridor, reading over the Charms test he took the week before. Everyone had gone home, but the Weasley grandchildren all stayed every year. It was Albus's first Christmas at Hogwarts, but he wasn't exactly enjoying himself yet. He wanted to get better grades than this - it was far from top marks. He wandered back down to the Slytherin dorms to write to Scorpius. His best friend had gone home with all the rest, and he hadn't seen his brother or cousins since breakfast.

When he got back to the empty dorm, he found Dominique and Freddie waiting for him.

"There you are!" Freddie said. "You ready to party?"

"What are you two talking about?" Albus asked, distracted. "Wait - how the hell did you two get in here?"

"Alli, sweet Alli," Dom said, shaking his head. "You have so much to learn."

"Don't call me Alli," Albus whined.

"That's right - they call him Sev now," Freddie said, nudging his cousin. "Come on, Sev… time to party."

* * *

The snow was swirling in the wind by the time the boys got outside. Albus got smacked in the face with a snowball as they rounded the path down to Hagrid's hut.

"Ack!" he yelped, shaking snow out of his face. He looked around frantically, spotting two more of his cousin's behind a mound of snow. "It's Rose and Victoire!"

Freddie waved his wand, creating a mound of snow for them to hide behind, as Albus and Dominique flung snowballs back at the girls. They all dove behind the snow wall, as Molly and Roxane ran to join the fray. Roxanne ducked behind the wall with the boys.

"Abominable snowman on three," she said. "One, two, three!"

Three of the four of them pointed at a nearby patch of snow, and watched it fountain up into a snowman with legs. Grinning, they watched it terrorize their cousins, sending them running from their hideout.

Albus watched the snowman go, and turned to Roxanne. "Teach me!"

"In the middle of a battle? Uncle Ron needs to work with you on strategy!" Roxanne said, ducking as a few errant snowballs flew their way.

Albus, instead, used the levitation charm to fling snowballs at his running cousins. He tossed a few by hand, because where was the fun if you didn't do it the old fashioned way as well?

The girls-only group retaliated by charming the snow into large hands that grabbed Dom and tossed him into a fluffy snow drift. Things continued like this, with the older cousins getting more and more creative, until a booming voice interrupted the festivities.

"Oi, you lot! When yer done pummeling each other, I got the kettle on," Hagrid called.

* * *

They stayed at Hagrid's until dinner, drinking tea and toasting marshmallows. But after dinner, they didn't want to separate back to their own dorms, so they followed Freddie and Dom back to the Hufflepuff common room. Albus, who had pretty much lived in the library for the whole term, was astounded. He knew his brother and cousins frequented each others' common rooms, but he'd never been in any but the Slytherin dorms.

"Wow! It's so…"

"Cozy? Comfy? Wonderful?" Freddie asked.

"All of that," Albus said, nodding. "What's with the pile of blankets?"

"Some of our mates have sensory issues, or anxiety," Dom explained, flipping his blonde hair out of his eyes. "The blankets are weighted, and adapt to the temperature your body needs to stay calm. The seventh years always have to petition Sinistra for more during finals."

"And is that...a hot cocoa machine?" Albus asked in disbelief.

"Yes - it does tea too. Warm drinks are always in high demand."

"I never want to leave," Albus deadpanned.

"People do tend to have that reaction," Molly said. "I think I stayed for a weekend, and Roxanne spent a month down here before Flitwick found out and made her move back up to the Ravenclaw dorm."

"We got permission this time, though!" Freddie told him, rolling sleeping bags into the middle area. "I checked with all the Heads of Houses. Who wants to play Snap while we wait for Roxie and James to nick food?"

Albus curled up in one of the squishy barrel chairs to watch the game. When James and Roxanne got back, lively betting began over jam tarts and butterbeers. Roxanne handed Albus a butterbeer, and squeezed onto the chair next to him.

"You know...I don't think I've seen you smile this much since you got here," she observed.

Albus blushed. "Guess not."

"Have you explored at all?" she asked, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"Haven't had time. I've been studying." He risked a sideways glance, wondering if he was going to be told off for not living up to the family tradition of meddling and rambunctiousness.

"I didn't really enjoy this place my first year," she said after a moment.

"Why? You're popular and everything."

"I am now. I didn't really start to make friends until my second year. I got over the fact that I got put in Ravenclaw instead of Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. I went out of my way to talk to people. And I stopped competing with Rosie for top marks." She gave a pointed nod not at Rosie, but at James. "You're a whole term ahead of me on wising up. Hogwarts is amazing. You're a good student, but don't miss out on...well...all of this. Promise?"

Albus smiled at his cousins, who were now engaged in a reenactment of the famous Weasley Twin Rebellion. "Promise."

* * *

 _ **LbN: Just a quick one-shot for AHighandLonesomeSound. Hope you liked it, mate :).  
**_


	5. Let It Snow

_**LbN: For Intervigilium. Prompt was: One of the greatest blizzards to ever hit Hogsmeade.**_

 **Neville**

They were saying it would be one of the greatest blizzards to ever hit Hogsmeade. Gazing out of his window at the Three Broomsticks Inn, Neville didn't doubt it. He stepped away from the window, and returned to gathering his supplies. He'd been staying at the inn for its grand opening, and for his trial week at Hogwarts. Sprout was getting on in years (her words, not his), and had owled him to ask if he might want the job. The week had gone well, and he had planned to go home that day, but the storm had moved in the day before. So he struck a deal with Hannah, who was helping run the front desk at the inn.

"Hannah? Where am I going with this lot?" he asked.

"We've got a few rose bushes out front, and then...well...everything in the back garden. Sorry in advance," she said, wincing.

"Don't worry - it's not like I don't love the work."

"Well, when you get done, I'll have some cinnamon cocoa ready for you."

"Cheers!" He wrapped his scarf around his face so that all that could be seen was his eyes. He started with the two rose bushes out front. He'd swapped a couple of extra nights in the Inn for taking care of their flowers. He'd put up greenhouse charms, but those would wear off soon as the temperature continued to drop and the snow picked up. He sprayed all of the roses with a potion, and spent a few minutes charming each of the flower boxes, and trimming the leaves too weak to withstand the storm. As a last measure, he cast the greenhouse charm again. It wouldn't last all winter, but they would survive the worst of the storm.

When he finished, he walked around to the back of the inn and stopped short. Now he understood why Hannah had flinched when she'd mentioned the back garden. It was at least fifty yards long, and bordered by a gorgeous assortment of tropical plants. He set his caddy down on the table, and started with his wand. He checked for the plants that were the weakest, and strengthened the greenhouse charm around them. Then, it was just the straightforward, yet tedious, process of spraying all 226 (he counted) plants down with the potion, trimming anything likely to wither in the storm, and trudging back to the inn.

True to her word, Hannah had an extra large mug of chocolate waiting for him when he got to the lobby.

"I was wondering if you'd be full snowman when you got back in," she said, trying to supress a smile.

Neville looked down at himself - he did in fact resemble a snowman. He grinned at her. "Nothing a quick drying charm won't take care of."

Hannah flicked her wand in his direction, and the excess snow was gone. "You're welcome," she said. "Now drink your cocoa before you catch dragonpox."

Neville took a seat at the table, and then paused, drink halfway to his mouth. "Hannah?"

"Yes?" she said as she looked through the inn's registry.

"What on earth does a warm drink have to do with dragonpox?" he asked, laughing.

"It's what Mum used to tell my cousins and me when we came in from the cold. Of course, she was trying to get us to drink warm milk with cloves, which we hated, so there had to be some incentive."

"So she went with avoiding dragonpox," Neville said, nodding.

"Right. You alright, then? I need to go check up with Madame Rosmerta and make sure we're all set. The storm is already rolling in."

"I'm fine. Er...but Hannah...there's something I wanted to ask you."

"What's that?"

"Erm...when the storm's over...would you maybe...would you like to go for drinks with me?"

Hannah smiled brightly. "Sure, Neville."

Neville watched her head into the pub through the small door that connected the two buildings. He sipped his cocoa, unable to stop grinning. When he'd finished, he set the mug on the cleaning trolley, and headed back up to his room with his things.

* * *

 **Seamus and Dean**

He looked down at the empty streets, just able to make out the street signs through the swirling snow. It was beginning to pile up on the ground, and Seamus had a feeling they'd be snowed in for a couple of days. Well, as snowed in as wizards could be. But there was no where else to go. He turned to look at the seven broomsticks lined up on the opposite side of the room. As he stood there, debating which one he should sell for some quick cash, there was a knock at the door.

"Hannah said you were up here."

"Dean!" Seamus pulled him into a hug. "Come in."

"How have you been?" Dean asked, pulling a chair over next to the bed.

Seamus sat cross-legged on the bed, leaning back against the wall. "Well… I got kicked out of my flat. I'm trying to start up my independent broom-selling service with no money. I would like to reiterate the whole 'no money' part, so I'm not sure how I'm going to pay for this hotel, or food. And I'm not on speaking terms with my family, because I asked for help with my business and Granddad had a meltdown. So...doing great this Christmas!"

Dean smiled. "Sounds like it. Don't worry - it'll work out. As for food, I've got you covered this weekend."

"That's right… you just got that new job at the publishing company… What's the name again?"

"Sneak-o-Scope Publishing," Dean said, smiling. "You're looking at the newest junior editor."

"Tell me about it," Seamus said, not wanting to dwell on his problems.

"Eh...I get to read crime novels all day. But not the good ones," he clarified. "I get to wade through the slush pile to see if there's anything worth salvaging."

Seamus laughed. "But hey - it's a start. You're doing what you want."

Dean nodded. "You will be too. It'll happen for you, mate."

Seamus shrugged. "Maybe. Have you...er...heard from your family at all?"

"Not since July," Dean said. "I...they haven't written back since I visited. The war was hard on them. I don't blame them."

"You're a hero, mate," Seamus said. "They have to understand that!"

"I think they understand why I did it, but that doesn't make it easier," Dean said. "They had me back. They knew I'd been tortured. And then I just disappear one night, leaving a note about fighting in a battle? I'd be mad at me too."

"But...to just stop speaking to you…."

Dean glanced out of the window. "Let's go downstairs, yeah? I think Neville's here too."

* * *

 **Hannah**

Hannah helped collect the dishes that were scattered around a few tables in the pub. She was about to take them to the kitchen, when Madam Rosmerta took them from her.

"I can take care of this," she said. "You've done well this week. Business at the inn is booming, and all of the guests I've talked to said you're wonderful. Go be with your friends."

"I'm not supposed to be off until tomorrow," Hannah said.

"I think I can handle things tonight. Most of the guests have requested that their dinners be sent up. Really, love, you'll work yourself to death. Go be with your friends."

"If you insist," Hannah said with a grin. She made her way back to the inn, where she spotted Neville reading by the fire in the lobby. Dean and Seamus were coming down the stairs, and waved at her. The three of them joined Neville by the fire. Hannah sat next to him, and gently tilted his book so that she could see what he was reading.

"Crime novels? Please tell me you're not following Harry and Ron into the Auror department," she said, only half joking.

"Not at all," he said. "This is from Dean's imprint. Figure the more I read, the more he gets paid."

"It doesn't quite work like that, but I appreciate the support," Dean said, laughing.

"Are you planning on doing this for a while?" Neville asked Hannah, gesturing to the inn.

"For a while. I want to go into Healer training, but… well… it's expensive."

"They make you pay?" Seamus asked, clearly disgusted.

"For your books, and certain rotations. I'm thinking I'll have enough after a few years here."

"Everything's got a damn price tag," Seamus grumbled.

"Let's not think about that now," Hannah said. "I want to play a game." She waved her wand and a few boxes came zooming out of a cabinet behind the front desk. "What do we think?"

"This one!" Dean said. "You have to get your team to the cave and find the treasure. It's great - I call playing the troll character."

Hannah unboxed the game, and held out the unclaimed character pieces to Neville. "Pick your poison."

"I'll be the puppy," he said, and then saw their looks. "What? I like puppies - and they always survive in Muggle movies."

"Oh no...not this again," Hannah groaned.

"I'm going to get you into them," Neville told her. "They make no sense, but it's still great."

"I'll take your word for it. Let's play."

* * *

 **Christmas Eve**

The snow had piled up to roughly two feet when Madame Rosmerta pushed a trolley full of food and snacks into the room. Dean could see the snow slipping off of the domes that the greenhouse charms created around the plants. It was officially a blizzard, which was why they were all surprised to see a new visitor walking in, followed by a gust of snow and wind.

"I Apparated just now," Luna said, running to hug each of them.

"In this mess?" Hannah asked, taking her coat.

"It did take me a few tries to get the right spot. But I had to come. I knew you were here, and I think your owls knew I would be the only one to get your Christmas presents to you." Luna swung a large Santa sack around her shoulder.

"Come eat," Dean said, moving over to make a space for her.

Luna set the sack of presents next to the couch, but didn't start eating right away. She passed wrapped presents to the other four, and grabbed a plate.

* * *

Everyone had been preoccupied after dinner. One of the better aftereffects of the war was that everyone was pretty perceptive. The group had said cordial goodnights, and with promises to meet for breakfast, made their way to their rooms.

Neville knew his grandmother's writing, and even if he hadn't, he would've recognized the blue snowman paper she'd been using since he was three. He unwrapped the small box to find a set of enchanted gardening gloves, a book of plants good for healing, and a set of gardening tools. The card was short, but sweet.

 _Neville,_

 _I hope this finds you well. Please come visit before your start your job at Hogwarts. Yes, I know they haven't offered officially, but I have no doubt that you're the man for the job. Enjoy the book, and I hope the tools are useful. Love, Gran._

* * *

Hannah was confused. After the war, she didn't have any family left. She wasn't sure who would be sending her a present, until she saw the card.

 _From one Hufflepuff to another - have a great Christmas. - Ernie_

She laughed as she peeked into the box, and pulled out a plushie tiger. It was a little-known Hufflepuff tradition - the giving of stuffed toys for Christmas - but she loved it. And it was uplifting to know that even in the middle of his holiday celebrations, her friend had thought of her.

* * *

Seamus looked down in astonishment. The letter lay on the table before him as tears welled up in his eyes. It was from his grandfather. The old wizard was the only one who ever called him by his full name, and he'd opened the letter with more than a little trepidation. But as he read, his heart felt lighter than it had in weeks.

 _Seamus Michael,_

 _I'm sorry for our disagreement. It's taken me some time to swallow my pride and realize that you are no longer the little boy I used to watch on the weekends. You are a responsible, brave young man, and I'm proud to call you my grandson. If you're serious about this broom business, then I will support you. I look forward to seeing you for New Year's Eve. We'll talk everything over then. Until then, feel free to stay with your friends. I know you're at the new inn in Hogsmeade. I'll cover your charges. Lots of love - Granddad._

* * *

Dean couldn't open the letter. He couldn't bring himself to look. The silence had been bad enough, but what if his family said they never wanted to see him again? He was staring at the letter in his hands when there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find Luna standing there.

"I thought maybe you could use some company," she said. Other than Seamus, she was the only one who knew what was going on with his family. "Get your coat and boots - the snow's stopped. We can go make snow angels."

Dean smiled, and obliged. As they walked down the staircase, he handed her the letter. "Could you? I don't think I can."

"Of course, Dean. I'll read it to you."

They stopped before the back door, and Dean closed his eyes as Luna read.

 _Dean,_

 _We love you. If the weather's not too bad, we'd love to see you on Christmas. We're sorry for shutting you out. Please come home. Love - Mother_

Dean let out a relieved laugh that sounded far too loud in the silent lobby. He hugged Luna tightly, and said, "Okay. We're going to have to clear about three feet, but let's go make snow angels."


	6. Merry Christmas, Siriusly

_**LbN: Happy Christmas to MuggleBeene! Prompt was: AU with Sirius and the Potter kids.**_

It had become a tradition once the kids were old enough to all remember Christmas antics. Sirius, worried that he was favoring his and James's namesake, decided to take each of Harry's kids out for their own day or outing - whatever they wanted to do - as their Christmas present. The only rule was that it couldn't be anything that would cause their parents to kill him. Over the years, he'd had some pretty amazing days - to include the time Albus decided he wanted to be in that year's Diagon Alley Pantomime. So to say that this was something he looked forward to would be an understatement.

Harry answered the door after one knock. "Sirius!"

"How are you?" Sirius asked as he hugged his godson.

"Brilliant. I'm loving the retired life."

"Retired," Sirius chuckled, following Harry into the house. His godson had helped bring in the last of the Death Eaters who had escaped the Battle for Hogwarts, and then said "See you later!" to the adventurous life. "When do the kids get home?"

"Tomorrow, and I fear for your sanity," Harry said.

"What does that mean?"

"Oh you'll find out."

* * *

Instead of going in age order, the kids had drawn straws. James still got to go first, and he worried Sirius right off the bat.

"I don't need a full day," the fifteen year old said. "Just be ready to go by five. Oh! And bring a jacket."

"Harry? Is he going to take us somewhere that will make Ginny kill me?" Sirius asked.

"I don't think so. Though he didn't tell me, so who knows."

Sirius retrieved his jacket and stood by the door later that day. The only thing he could hope for at this point was that the boy wasn't _just_ like his namesake, and wouldn't be taking them to any gentlemen's clubs….

James bounded down the stairs, looking happy but not maniacal. This did much to ease Sirius's worries…. "Ready, Uncle S?"

"Ready! Would you mind telling me where we're going?"

"Can't do, Uncle S!" James said cheerfully. "It's a surprise. It's a magical location, but we can get there on the Tube."

"Of course we can," Sirius chuckled. "Right, Harry! Ginny! We'll be back!"

"Please don't let James get you arrested!" Ginny called.

Sirius laughed, and followed James into the snowy evening. They traveled through London, all the way up to the Epping station. James went on the whole time about how he couldn't wait for next year and his exchange trip to America.

"Well, as long as you don't bring back any bad American habits, I'm sure it'll be grand," Sirius said as they rounded a corner into an alley. "Er...James? What are we doing here?"

"Waiting for our ride," James told him. "Don't worry, Uncle S."

"Who's worried?" Sirius mused. He looked around the alley, trying to figure out what (or whom) they were waiting around for.

Suddenly, what looked like an old fashioned elevator landed behind James. An impeccably dressed young man with a 1950s pompadour rolled the doors open. "Evening, Jamie," he said. "I see you've brought company. You know the rules."

"Don't worry, Corky - I have his entrance fee," James said as he and Sirius walked into the roomy elevator.

"Fine then," Corky said, rolling the elevator doors back. He pushed one of the three buttons on the control panel, and then sat on his stool to read the Daily Prophet.

"James...you do remember my one Christmas outing rule, yes?"

James grinned at him. "I remember. This isn't anything illegal, immoral, or unsavory. Slightly unwholesome, but it's going to be fun."

"I have nothing but faith in you. And since when do people call you Jamie?"

"Only my friends here," James said. "Ah! We're here."

They walked out onto the staircase of a stadium, and James led the way to the front row. As Sirius took in his surroundings, he realized that they were at a racetrack. A tall, tattooed woman appeared in front of them, and took two tickets from James.

"Can I get you and your boyfriend something to drink?" she asked him.

"Very funny, Demetria," James said as Sirius turned a bit green. "I'll have a firewhiskey."

"Not tonight you won't, young man," Sirius said. "Butterbeers for both of us."

"Coming right up!" Demetria said. "Race should be starting in ten."

Sirius strained to see the starting point, and smiled brightly when he spotted the motorcycles lining up. "A bike race?" he asked.

"An enchanted bike race."

"What's the difference?"

Twenty minutes later, as he watched the magical obstacles and the audience interference knock the flying bikes out of the air, he understood what James had meant by "slightly unwholesome". He didn't know who was allowed to shoot hexes at the bikers, so he just watched and cheered when James did.

"Happy Christmas, Uncle S!" James yelled above the crowd as his biker took the lead.

Even over the earmuff charm (he wasn't as young as he used to be), Sirius knew what James had said. He hugged him briefly, and booed with everyone else as a Filibuster Firework made their biker swerve off course. "Happy Christmas!" he yelled back, vowing to never ask how James had found out about this place.

* * *

"You want a... _what?_ " Sirius asked, eyes wide. He knew he hadn't heard what he thought he

head.

"A Knickerbocker Glory Hole," Lily said. "It's at an ice cream shop in Muggle London. I could use a snack now - let's go."

Sirius had been around, and had seen plenty in his years, but he was truly terrified as Lily led him through the crowded market. He spotted the Icecreamists sign, but saw the hot pink, slightly offensive, slogans in the window.

"I know what you're thinking," Lily said, grinning up at Sirius.

"Indeed? What am I thinking?"

"You're thinking I broke your Christmas outing rule," she said as they walked into the dark ice cream shop. "And don't worry - I ran it past Mum before I asked you. I endured The Talk to come here, so let's have fun."

After the bright lights of the decorated market, the dark shop took some getting used to. Sirius glanced around at the mannequins, the bus, and the interesting… figurines. He had to resist the urge to cover Lily's eyes. He was just glad to see the employees were dressed appropriately at least - although he did see some of the waitresses wearing police caps.

"What can I do for you both today?" the young man at the register asked.

"Two Knickerbocker Glory Holes, please!" Lily chirped.

"Of course! Would you like that traditional, or with a warm donut?"

Sirius kept his face carefully blank as his grand-goddaughter ordered warm donuts. He did, however, insist that they take their treats out into the main dining hall of the market. The dark depravity of the ice cream shop was making him feel like a creepy old man.

"These aren't half bad," he commented, dunking his donut into the whipped cream.

"Told you! Worth the name?" Lily asked.

"...barely."

* * *

"Morning, Uncle Sirius," Albus said, pouring himself a mug of coffee.

"You'll stunt your growth," Sirius said, nodding at the coffee.

Albus shrugged. "I hear Lily took you to that crazy sex and ice cream shop yesterday."

"I'd prefer we didn't call it that, but yes. Have you decided what we're doing for your Christmas outing?"

"We're not going out," Albus said. "I mean… I suppose we can take this conversation to the back garden. But we're not going anywhere else."

"Well, let's go enjoy the snowy morning."

When they got out to the heated patio, Albus curled up on swinging bench. "My Christmas location is a time, not a place."

"Do tell," Sirius said.

"I want to know the story about you and Granddad and Uncle Remus. When you learned to be Animagi."

Sirius sipped his coffee, and was silent for a long moment. "Of course I will," he said finally. "But I'm telling you the narrative, not the technicalities." He smiled when he saw Albus blush. "Caught?"

"Caught. But I was only thinking of doing it in the abstract. Like maybe...when I'm older."

"Sure. Well, the story actually starts during a Quidditch match. Your House was rather unpopular, and one of the Chasers got jinxed. Ended up with a lovely bushy tail. I went with my brother to see him, because I was trying to talk Regulus into staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. The boy who was jinxed was hollering something awful - going on about how Animagi can change back, so why can't they change him back."

"And that's when you thought of it," Albus said.

"Remus had missed that game due to his...condition. I went straight to your grandfather with the idea. The next week, we started spending a lot more time in the library…."

Albus listened intently as Sirius recounted the story.

Harry stood just inside the door for a moment longer. He'd heard the story before, but he loved it every time Sirius told it. After a moment, he made his way back to the kitchen to make breakfast.


	7. Roxie Weasley & the Xmas of Deliverance

_**LbN: For SaraWinters. Prompt was "**_ _ **One of the Weasley grandkids is bullying (or any form of abusing) another so much s/he decides to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas." Took some artistic liberties, but I hope you like it!**_

* * *

It all started with a letter. The one good thing about being the unwanted Weasley was that she tended to eat alone. So when the mail owls began zooming in, dropping packages and letters, no one noticed when she got one. One look at the American flag stamp was all she needed to see, and she tapped it with her wand to send it up to her room.

That was in October, and Roxie could hardly wait. She'd applied to the exchange program the same day the letter came, and told her parents not to say anything. As she watched her books tumble down the stairs, she was glad she told them to keep it quiet. Coming this way was a rookie mistake - she'd figured out all the back hallways to her classes by second term of her first year. You'd think she'd remember to avoid passing Rosie in the halls. She glared back up at her cousin, but the girl had already moved on. She turned to pick up her books, and came face to face with her older half-brother.

"Hey Freddie," she said.

"Roxie," he said, handing her the books. "So… year three, and this is still going on."

"Ignore her," Roxie said.

"Rox, this can't keep going," Freddie told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm graduating this year. I can't help you…"

"Don't worry about me, Freddie," she said. "I have to get to class." She turned to go, but stopped when she heard him call her again.

"I told Mum and George."

Roxanne's blood ran cold. She was pretty sure her heart stopped for a second. "What?"

"I told them. Because you wouldn't."

Roxanne turned back around and marched up to her brother. "It's just… It's nothing I can't handle. Knocked down books aren't the end of the world."

"Really? What about when you ended up in the hospital wing because she jinxed you when you were going up the stairs first year? Yeah - I know we can't prove it was her, but I know it was. What about spreading those rumors about you so that no one would talk to you second year? And when you finally started making friends this year? Suddenly they're nowhere to be found, and Rose has two new minions. I'd yell at her myself, but I'm afraid James would pummel me."

"I'm sure Albus would protect you," Roxie muttered. "You really told them? Then why -"

"I asked them not to bother you about it. Roxie...we have to fix this."

"I'm working on it. It's not like it'll matter. It's our word against hers, and no one's going to believe the bastard Weasley over Hermione's golden princess."

"I've asked you not to call yourself that," Freddie said, sadly.

"Why not? Everyone else does."

He hugged her. "Just tell me what I can do. I feel like I should be doing something."

"Anything you do will just make it worse. Wait…" Roxie said as a thought struck her. "There is something you can do for me…."

* * *

Roxanne awoke that night, and reached for her wand out of instinct.

Rose's hand grabbed hers before she could reach it. She slid into bed with her. "Were you going to jinx me?" she whispered.

"Reflex. What are you doing here?" Roxanne asked, scooting as far away from Rose as the bed would allow.

"Spending time with my cousin."

"How did you get in?"

"We all know each other's passwords, idiot," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "I got it from James, who got it from Albus."

"I'm trying to sleep. Go away."

"Can't. I heard some interesting information today. What have you been plotting, cousin?"

Roxie kept her face carefully blank, and tried not to think of the letters from Salem, currently hidden in her mattress. "You caught me," she said calmly. "I'm tired of the Hufflepuffs being closest to the kitchens. Albus and I are planning a hostile takeover of their dorm. Much warmer in there, too."

Rose sneered at her. "I meant your big Quidditch dreams."

Roxie barely suppressed the sigh of relief she'd been holding back. "You're so dramatic," she said. "I was thinking about it. I'm a fair Keeper."

"Can't let you do that, Roxie," Rose said. "We wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"Are you planning on jinxing me midair?"

"I'm offended that you would suggest such a thing," Rose said, but she was smiling. "But..things happen. And we both know that your...accidents aren't really the top priority. Heaven forbid that Albus or my brother gets hurt - but you? No one really cares about the accidental Weasley."

"You're not worried about me getting hurt," Roxie said. "You know that there'll be nothing you can do if I make the Quidditch team. There's no rumor you can spread that beats wins. I know you Ravenclaws like to use your words, but the one thing that you can't talk your way around is a Quidditch victory."

Rose had lost her smile now. She hopped out of bed, kicking Roxie as she moved. "Good luck at your tryouts."

Roxanne let out a breath of relief. She made a mental note to get Freddie an extra Christmas gift. He was surprisingly good at leaking false information. Hopefully Rose would be too busy screwing up her fake Quidditch ambitions to find out about Roxie's escape plan...

* * *

"Miss Weasley," Professor Sinistra said. "Please, sit. You wished to speak with me?"

"The list for Christmas went round this morning. I'm afraid I was preoccupied and missed it. Could I still sign up?"

Professor Sinistra smiled at her, and took the parchment out of a file on her desk. "Of course," she said, but didn't pass it to her. "If you're truthful with me. You weren't preoccupied this morning. I saw you at breakfast. Why did you skip the list?"

"I...er… hadn't quite made up my mind yet."

Sinistra sighed. "The truth, please, Roxanne. I can't help you, unless you talk to me. Are you avoiding going home to avoid your cousin?"

Roxanne looked down at her shoes. "Yes."

"I know you feel alone, but you aren't. Professor Longbottom and I have been keeping a close eye on you since your...accident during your first year. Unfortunately, we can't pin any of the rumors on Rose. But we can support you. I'll add you to the list. Please come tell me if you need anything."

Roxanne nodded, and took her leave.

* * *

Not too many people stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas these days. There were only about twelve people at meals. And Roxanne wondered if this was what it would feel like in America - peaceful. The letters - one from Salem, and one from her parents - had come the day that everyone left for Christmas. Today, Christmas morning, she'd conjured a hammock and a small fire in one of the courtyards, and reread her letters.

 _Dear Miss Roxanne Elianna Weasley,_

 _We are pleased to offer you a spot in the Salem International Students' Program. If you would like to accept your placement, please send back the attached permission form with yours and your parents' signatures by April 30th. Attached you will find both the permission form, and information on our school Please note, our school begins the second week of August. We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Yours truly,_

 _Evelyne C. Jefferson, ISP Coordinator_

Roxanne had gone over the packet at least thirty times. She'd signed the permission form, and, after reading the second letter, sent it off to her parents. She hadn't told them when she'd applied. She hadn't even told Freddie. But they had received their own letter of congratulations from Salem, and had written to her.

 _Roxie,_

 _We're sorry you felt you couldn't come to us. We know how you must feel, with our family situation. Please don't ever keep your pain from us - we love you, and we want to help. If you feel a change of school would help, then we will support you. Send us the permission slip, and we'll send it off as soon as we can._

 _Love, Mum and Dad_

As she relaxed in the hammock, she wondered what things would be like in America. One thing she knew for sure, was that there was no direction to go, but up.

* * *

Rose Weasley walked into the kitchen to find her parents talking quietly. "Can we go to London before we head back to Hogwarts? I want to pick up some books."

"No," Ron said quietly. "Have a seat."

She sat next to her mother, confused. "What's wrong?"

"We've had a letter from school. And from Angelina," Hermione said. Her voice was strained, as though she was barely holding back tears...or anger. "Seems that Roxanne is moving to Salem."

"What?" Rose asked, genuinely perplexed.

"She's earned a spot in the international program," Ron explained.

"Wait, how?" Rose asked. "How do you get in? Can I go?"

"No," Hermione growled. "And we're not sure we want to send you back to Hogwarts."

"What are you talking about?" she asked slowly, nerves growing.

"We didn't want to believe it of you," Ron said. "When Angelina and George first approached us last year...we thought it couldn't have been you. We made excuses - said you two must have been fighting. But it looks like Professor Sinistra has been keeping a better eye on you than we have."

"What did Roxanne ever do to you?" Hermione demanded.

Rose stayed quiet.

"Your mother asked you a question," Ron prompted. "And I'm interested as well. What has Roxie done to deserve no friends...rumors about her spread...and jinxed, apparently."

Rose was breathing hard, and thinking hard. But for the first time in a long time, the Ravenclaw couldn't answer them.

"Nothing?" Hermione asked. "Go upstairs. We've revoked your permission to Hogsmeade. You'll be spending detention with Uncle Neville for every Quidditch game, and doing extra projects for Professor Tannus and Professor Audonly. I hope we don't hear of any more of these reports, or we really will pull you out of Hogwarts."

"But you can't!" Rose protested.

"You've tormented your cousin for three years, to the point where she doesn't even want to be at the castle anymore," Ron said. "Try us."

"Roxie's just a typical cowardly Slytherin. Mum was bullied, and she never ran," Rose grumbled. But the look Hermione gave her made her lose her scowl, and scoot a few feet away.

"You think bravery means letting yourself be hurt constantly?" Hermione asked. "Yes, I was bullied. And I never thought I'd raise a daughter who was just like the people who made me feel so unwanted and hated."

Ron grimaced and looked at his hands. "Please go finish packing, Rose. And Rose? Pulling you out of Hogwarts wouldn't just be a punishment. We have to think of your brother and Lily. Roxie is your age, and she took care of herself as best she could. We won't let you put the little ones through the same thing."

Rose nodded once, and ran back upstairs. She knew she didn't deserve to cry, but once she was safely in her room, she did.

* * *

Roxanne knew something had happened over the holidays. Rose hadn't spared her a glance, and a few of her older cousins had hugged her tightly as soon as they got back. No one talked about it, but Rose's treatment of Roxie was clearly out in the open. James made a point to go out of his way to speak to her. Albus sat with her at meal times. And Victoire invited her to the seventh year Ravenclaws' study group. But for Roxanne, it was too little too late. She did wonder if things would've been better if she'd spoken up sooner, but she didn't dwell on it. She was ready to go. She didn't bother saying any kind of goodbyes on the final morning there - but found an empty compartment in the train before the crowd of students rushed on.

Rose appeared in the doorway after the train started for London. "Roxie."

"What do you want?" Roxie asked, instinctively reaching into her pocket for her wand.

"I'm not here to bother you," Rose said. "Good luck in America." And with that, she was gone.

Roxanne relaxed slightly, and hoped that this last train ride marked the end of her troubles.


End file.
